Clinical Chemistry
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Clinical Chemistry 46: 884-885, 2000;
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(Clinical Chemistry. 2000;46:884-885.)
© 2000 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.

Letters

Macroprolactin Reactivities in Prolactin Assays: An Issue for Clinical Laboratories and Equipment Manufacturers

Rhys John1,a, Ian F.W. McDowell1, Maurice F. Scanlon1 and Andy R. Ellis2

1 Departments of Medical Biochemistry, and Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW, United Kingdom

2 UKNEQAS for Peptide Hormones, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh EH3 9YW,, United Kingdom
a Address correspondence to this author at: Department of Medical Biochemistry, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XW, United Kingdom. Fax 44-2920-748383.


To the Editor:

Macroprolactin is a complex of prolactin with immunoglobulin (IgG) that in vivo appears to have limited or no biological activity, possibly because of the failure of the high-molecular weight complex to cross capillary walls (1). The predominant form of prolactin in serum in the general population is monomeric prolactin, but the prevalence of macroprolactin in serum is not known. However, when samples with increased prolactin are further investigated, it has been reported that up to 26% of these samples contain macroprolactin as the predominant form (2)(3). Immunoassays for prolactin have variable reactivity with macroprolactin; therefore, its presence should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia. This clinical problem is illustrated by the following two patients who were referred, from the same local hospital, to our endocrine center for the investigation of hyperprolactinemia.

Clinical case 1.
A 38-year-old female volunteer in a clinical trial had serum prolactin concentrations of 1168–1748 mIU/L (reference interval <420 mIU/L) on . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Clinical case 2.

References




The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:


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 Clin. Chem.Home page
L. Kavanagh, T. J. McKenna, M. N. Fahie-Wilson, J. Gibney, and T. P. Smith
Specificity and Clinical Utility of Methods for the Detection of Macroprolactin
Clin. Chem., July 1, 2006; 52(7): 1366 - 1372.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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 Clin. Chem.Home page
C. Hekim, H. Alfthan, J. T. Leinonen, and U.-H. Stenman
Effect of Incubation Time on Recognition of Various Forms of Prolactin in Serum by the DELFIA Assay
Clin. Chem., December 1, 2002; 48(12): 2253 - 2256.
[Full Text] [PDF]

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 Clin. Chem.Home page
G. Gilson, P. Schmit, J. Thix, J.-P. Hoffman, and R.-L. Humbel
Prolactin Results for Samples Containing Macroprolactin Are Method and Sample Dependent
Clin. Chem., February 1, 2001; 47(2): 331 - 333.
[Full Text] [PDF]

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 Clin. Chem.Home page
M. N. Fahie-Wilson and R. John
Detection of Macroprolactin Causing Hyperprolactinemia in Commercial Assays for Prolactin Dr. John responds:
Clin. Chem., December 1, 2000; 46(12): 2022 - 2023.
[Full Text] [PDF]


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